Jame is one of the last of the Kencyrath, born to battle world-destroying Perimal Darkling and to revive her ancestral heritage, Jame's youth was spent in the Master's House under Perimal's shadow. Now she has discovered her past and her heritage as a Highborn - and, with it, the power to call souls out of their bodies.

First, though, Jame must survive the politics and dangers of monster-haunted Tentir, a school for warriors where she is a student, one among many, most of whom want to see her fail, if not die. At Tentir and in the hills, she must also contend with the eternally compromised Eaten One, one of Rathillien's four elemental spirits, who desires a mate and is willing to drown the world to get one. Just as graduation approaches, Jame finds herself expected to wed immediately, plus take on a family. To make matters worse, she is challenged to mounted combat, a competition which she must win to graduate. It's a trial by fire, thre ultimate riding of the rathorn, as Jame moves closer to a magnificent destiny she both fears - and knows she must face.